Cub Tracks is on the ball

Here at CUB TRACKS NEWS AND NOTES™, we like to keep things brief on the principle that it makes us appear wise. We don’t always, but we like to. We also drink morale blend, @DOM_frederic. It helps us make deadlines.

The Cubs and the Cardinals got INTO IT Friday night on the west side of the arch.

Kyle Hendricks came out against St. Louis and longtime nemesis Carlos Martinez, who came off the IL to make the start. Joc Pederson greeted Martinez rudely and off they went after that like a pot put on the boil on an ice tray. We knew it was gonna be a low-scoring game.

The Cards scored in the third on a KB throwing error (single, E-5) and a ducksnort by Tommy Edman, tying the game. Martinez subsequently ploinked Rizzo, walked Javy, and ploinked the Pittsburgh-area native Ian Happ as his goo malfunctioned badly but nothing came of it as David Bote grounded out. But that led to a discussion of why so many guys are getting hit, and Boog flat-out said it while JD and Dempster talked around it.

Cue commercials. Cubs up by one on a Nico double, sac bunt, sac fly. More ploinkage. No warnings, except maybe to Boog. Professor’s office still open, Cardinals still throwing the ball around.

Actually, the Cubs lead the league in ploinkage. But that seems defensive. Anyway that added some drama to a sort of dull game, at least for me. Quality start for the Kyle Hendricks Experience. Got more interesting late. Al will have details in his recap.

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• Ken Rosenthal and Brittany Ghiroli (The Athletic {$}): ‘What are we even doing here?’: Around baseball, players raise concerns about pitchers’ use of foreign substances. “Everyone has swing-and-miss stuff from top to bottom, and it’s not because everyone got so much better in the last three years,” Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto told reporters on Wednesday.
• Gordon Wittenmyer (NBC Sports Chicago*): Ross favors mercy rule to clear up ‘unwritten rules’ in routs. “When I bring in a position player to pitch, I’m conceding that the game is over and I would like to go home as fast as possible and turn the page,” Ross said.
• Paul Sullivan (Chicago Tribune* {$}): Ross prefers to handle things internally when a player controversy erupts: ‘You’re always toeing that line’. “I think that’s all individualized as a manager and to your team.”
• Mark Potash (Chicago Sun-Times* {$}): Jed Hoyer: ‘Disappointing’ that Cubs have not reached 85% vaccination threshold. “I think we’re at a place right now where I’m not going to give up hope that we can get there, but my level of optimism is waning, candidly.”
• Gordon Wittenmyer (NBC Sports Chicago*): MLB Trade Deadline: How Cubs decisions might be made by Cardinals. “The flawed Cardinals are just good enough seven weeks into the season to claim first place in the National League Central by three games over the flawed Cubs ...”
• Paul Sullivan (Chicago Tribune* {$}): After a 5-2 win over the Washington Nationals, the Chicago Cubs head to St. Louis for a key early season series that could dictate the future. “If we’re in position to be a buyer, we’ll have the budgetary flexibility to do that,” Hoyer said.
• Sahadev Sharma (The Athletic {$}): The Cubs’ deep, impressive bullpen is a positive sign for an organization in transition. “Ross has leaned heavily on the bullpen as the relievers have tossed 169 1/3 innings so far this season, second in the NL.”
• Tim Stebbins (NBC Sports Chicago*): Cubs bullpen takes hit as Justin Steele lands on IL. “The Cubs recalled lefty Brad Wieck from Triple-A Iowa in a corresponding move.”
• Gordon Wittenmyer (NBC Sports Chicago*): Cubs Reliever Jason Adam requires ambulance for leg injury in Iowa. “... a freak, non-contact injury that was serious enough he was transported by ambulance to a nearby hospital...” Tommy Birch says ankle.
• Tim Stebbins (NBC Sports Chicago*): Willson Contreras joins Chicago athletes in vaccine campaign. “Everybody makes a choice,” Contreras said prior to Friday’s game against the Cardinals. “I made my choice to support the campaign.”
• Tony Andracki (Marquee Sports Network*): Nico Hoerner: Baseball player. “Ask a member of the Cubs about Hoerner and watch their face light up.”
• Ashok Selvam (Eater Chicago*): This Chicago Cub liked his coffee so much that he invested in the company. 'Ian Happ joins the growing fraternity of athletes who own coffee companies.”
• John Ourand (Sports Business Journal* {$}): No tie, no problem: McCarthy learns nuances of Cubs fans. “I learned that the Cub fans take things very seriously,” said Marquee Sports Network general manager Mike McCarthy.
• NBC Chicago*: Cubs Fan beaten by Officer after World Series awarded $53K. “A federal jury has found that a Chicago police lieutenant used excessive force when he tackled and beat a man during the celebration outside Wrigley Field after the Cubs won the 2016 World Series.”

Food for Thought:

Thanks for reading.